2021
- Jordan Isbell, “Okolona, Mississippi: The Little City That Does ‘Big Things’”
- Kinjal Patel, “The Lockdown”
- J.B. Snodgrass, “The Word of the Lord”
- Emma Spinks, “Mississippi”
- Benjamin Tabor, “What a Hunter Hears”
- Honorable Mentions:
- Jordan Brown, “If Anything Happens to Me”
- Jazmine Henry, “The Inevitable”
- Jacob McGee,“Why Faith and Not Sight”
- Megan Waits, “Blindsided”
- Locklyn Wilchynski, “A Monument of Sunshine”
- Judges: Kendra Allen and Annette Saunook Clapsaddle
2020
- Joshua Bates of Forest, “I Apologize If You Feel Something”
- Callie Matthews of Meridian, “Reclaiming the Soil You Sprouted From”
- Skylar Nichols of Laurel, “Stitches, Scissors, & Seams,” “Early Sunday Mornings,” and “Homebodies”
- Lauren Stamps of Mount Olive, “Midnight by the Pearl”
- Abilyn Strain of Columbus, “I Call That Beautiful”
- Honorable Mention:
- Luke Bowles of Buckatunna, “So This Is Wayne County”
- Jaylin Jones of Clarksdale, “Submerged in the South” and “Open-Casket”
- Raeed Kabir of Biloxi, “Individualism of Culture”
- Amelia Pope of Aberdeen, “Can’t I Live and Be?”
- Stephanie Ressel of Vancleave, “Lock and Key”
- Judges: Juyanne James and Sandra Meek
2019
- Felicity Browning of Pascagoula, “Hometown Wilted”
- Ryley Fallon of Lucedale, “Speech Leapin’”
- Lily Langstaff of Olive Branch, “Backyard Bugs”
- Abilyn Marie Strain of Columbus, “Home(less)” and “King Street”
- Shelby Tisdale of Pearl, “Southside Sunday,” “Smoke,” and “So This is Mississippi”
- Honorable Mention:
- Abby Amos of Columbus, “I am Three, I am Me”
- Violet Jira of Cleveland, “Snow for Sky”
- Asya Lyons of Jackson, “Why I Live at the P. O.”
- Imani Skipwith of Jackson, “Mama Mississippi” Poem and “The Southern Struggle”
- Judges: T. J. Anderson III and Cary Holladay
2018
- Danail Dimitrov of Ackerman, "Speaking English”
- Victoria Gong of Vicksburg, "Monsoon Season”
- Luong Huynh of Pascagoula, “Do You Hear Me?”
- Indu Nandula of Cleveland, "Red Bindis and Potato Curry”
- Katherine Westbrook of Wesson, "Splintered: The Story of an Almost-Empath”
- Honorable Mention:
- Taylor Downs of Yazoo City, “Parental Teachings”
- Dev Jaiswal of Louisville, “Color”
- Peter Nguyen of D'Iberville, "Across the Water”
- Sarah Perry of Columbus, “Photographs”
- Madison Wypyski of Pass Christian, "Heath Ledger and Hip-Hugging Jeans”
- Judges: Pauline Kaldas and Adam Vines
2017
- Alex Monterde of Purvis, "Soy Beans and Shrimp"
- Helen Peng of Starkville, "Ode to Dixie"
- Amber Jackson of Jackson, "Interdependence"
- Michelle Luo of New Albany, "In the Snow"
- Honorable Mention:
- Juliana Wilkins of Columbus, "Living with Zombies"
- Billy Guevara of Richland, "The Gift"
- Alyson Espy of Clarksdale, "Absolute Pitch"
- Anjeli Hoskins of Pascagoula, "Traveling the Mississippi Gulf Coast"
- Allison McElhenney of Columbus, "Reflections and Dreams"
- Jagger Riggle of Pontotoc, "Calhoun County"
- Victoria Gong of Vicksburg, "In Mississippi"
- Mariat Thankachan of Clarksdale, "Speaks the Mississippi Story"
- Indu Nandula of Cleveland, "The Long Winding Road"
- Daja Sayles of Richland, "Johnathan"
- Judges: James E. Cherry and Jacqueline Allen Trimble
2016
- Braeden Foldenauer of Southaven, "Monster Inside Me"
- Emily Shy of Cleveland, "Delta Driving"
- Stephanie Dauber of Columbus, "Cheyenne and Mama"
- Jalexis Evans of Cleveland, "Do You Hear It"
- Reagan Poston of Mantee, "Greasy Joe,"
- Honorable Mention:
- Dustin Dunaway of Brookhaven, "Calloused Hands"
- Wrishija Roy of Columbus, "Cultures Unheard”
- Judges: Paulette Boudreaux and David Armand
2015
- Makayla Raby of Ecru, "City"
- Summar McGee of Edwards, "Pickin' Day"
- Carly Sneed of Pontotoc, "Dancing on the Factory Floor"
- Laurel Lancaster of South Haven, "Amazing Grace"
- Dharma Gilley of Ocean Springs, "Young and Yellow"
- Judges: T. J. Jarrett and Michael Kardos.